


untitled

by solcafune



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, I did my best I think, M/M, Might be perceived as cliffhanger for some, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non-Linear Narrative, Reincarnation, Why Did I Write This?, bokuto real owl, exchange fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:09:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28260687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solcafune/pseuds/solcafune
Summary: Light droplets of water hit his face, and the good thing, he thought, was that he was near to the place already.“Good morning.”A welcome of a familiar voice—seemingly hugging Akaashi’s soul just by hearing it, a voice that even if found in a different person each lifetime, still feels like home.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Miya Osamu
Kudos: 7





	untitled

_Love is always_

_Like looking through clear water_

_Go to accept it_

_And it leaves_

_Just like you_

  
  


Akaashi on his sofa, with the laptop on, and his pet owl dozing off near the window pane, randomly remembered the tune of a song he wrote way back two lifetimes.

_Two lifetimes seemed like more than that._

Fixing his glasses that are almost falling to his nose, he exhaled, enduring the recognizable pain in his chest.

Akaashi felt that he is _unlucky—_ in a lot of ways—one of those is existing numerous times and remembering the past lives you’ve had, may he want it or not, and another is his being—adamant on holding onto something dubious.

* * *

Most bleak days, Akaashi regrets opening his eyes to the familiar ceiling of his room, groaning as he tries to get up and wear a coat, going to the same place to get something to fill his stomach—something to fill his _heart._

* * *

  
  


“Violet— no, I mean Akaashi, are you going to that store again?” 

One thing that Akaashi finds endearing about his pet calling out to him is the long hold on his name. Eyes softening, Akaashi turned to his owl, patting his head, and spoke.

“I am. Do you want me to get something for you?”

“Rather, I’m surprised by two things Akaashi—one is that you are getting used to me, not only being your pet for several lifetimes now, but the fact that I could speak, and also the other thing is that how do you still manage to find him in every lifetime? Is that a learned skill of yours now?”

Taken aback, Akaashi only smiled and sat down near the bird. 

“No matter how many times I get shocked by you talking, nothing will change. Did the one who made the curse unto me told you anything aside from me getting a talking furry and retaining my memories from the past lives?”

The scene of the furry now in deep thought induced a small smile on Akaashi’s face, as he stood up heading for the door.

“I haven’t even answered you yet, and you didn’t entertain my question about the guy too, Akaashi.”

“We’ll talk about it later, Kotarou. I’ll get food first, apparently it tastes better when it’s hot—the rice I mean.”

“Okay, take care.” _Don’t go there breaking your heart, Akaashi,_ Kotarou only mused the remaining thoughts to himself.

Kotarou has been used to seeing an Akaashi with a small smile—desperately putting on a facade—yet all that wall he builds to keep others at bay doesn’t really protect Akaashi from himself.

Inching his way to the window pane once again to watch Akaashi trek over the autumn leaves, Kotarou was put into a deep thought. The curse put on Akaashi wasn’t in any way simple. 

One may wonder how Akaashi got himself a curse, and a speaking furry serving as his familiar in the continuous loop of lifetimes—well the reasons goes like this: 

An Auto Memory Doll in the past—Akaashi’s past job was to write letters in correspondence to other people—it was his life right after the war. By that time, Akaashi took on the job not only to have an occupation, but to know what _love_ means, anchoring to what his senior said to him before.

_‘i love you.’_

So where did the curse come from? As Akaashi in his first life would travel around to write letters that conveys feelings for people, he encountered a man, imploring him to write a letter—not knowing the man was a witch.

Akaashi was asked to write about a love—similar _love_ that was what was meant by his Major—making Akaashi fail this time. That time he still doesn’t understand what that love meant—what his Major meant, resulting in a failure that angered the witch. How can he write for something he doesn’t understand himself? Only by that time did Akaashi realize that the client was different, and that he was too late to beg for his life to be spared, so he was cursed. 

A curse that lets him remember his past lives as he is born again in a new lifetime—may he like it or not. A curse that won’t get undone unless Akaashi manages to learn what Major was trying to convey, what the witch was imploring him to write. A curse that will continue to his future lives unless he finds who ‘Major’ currently is, and properly settles what wasn’t done in the past.

As for the familiar? Kotarou was one of the witch’s several pets—the only one who volunteered to be with Akaashi, until the latter could finally free himself from the tangled curse. 

Sound of the rain hitting the windowpane brought the senses of the pondering owl back to earth. The autumn rain that started only made him sigh, for rain is an ode to mishaps and a prelude to afflictions.

* * *

  
  


At first, Akaashi thought how nonsense the curse was, not until he experienced and realized it was actually real. Funny thing to him was that no matter how many times he is reborn to a different timeline, he’d find him easily. Always. 

Light droplets of water hit his face, and the good thing, he thought, was that he was near to the place already.

“Good morning.”

A welcome of a familiar voice—seemingly hugging Akaashi’s soul just by hearing it, a voice that even if found in a different person each lifetime, still feels like _home_. 

As Akaashi entered the establishment—neat, properly lit, and traditionally designed place, a delightful smell greeted him and a smile instantly made its way to his face. Redirecting his eyes to the man who spoke a greeting, he greets back.

“Good morning Miya-san.”

Akaashi’s greeting was answered with an intent look and a soft smile. With this, he felt his heart hammered loudly against his chest, his being softening with just a gaze

“You’re here again, Akaashi-kun.”

Akaashi found himself a chair near the counter and settled himself nicely, opening his mouth as he ordered what he would want to be served. Osamu, the ‘Miya-san’ that Akaashi referred to earlier which is the owner of the newly established branch of Onigiri Miya in Tokyo, swiftly nodded as he took down what Akaashi ordered. With an eyebrow raised and a smirk to top it off, Osamu taunted the latter as he brought his hand to his own chest, clasping it at the same time.

“Where did ‘Myaa-sam’ go, Akaashi-kun?”

Akaashi, who choked on the hot rice ball he was eating, was given a glass of water by someone near him. As he thanked the woman beside him, Akaashi averted his eyes from the glass of water unto the man smirking in front of him.

“Stop it, Miya-san.”

Propping his chin using his arms on the table in front of Akaashi, Osamu, with glinting eyes, smiled widely and said.

“Don’t wanna, besides, I wanna tell you that I prefer ‘Myaa-sam’ over the bland ‘Miya-san’ , Akaashi-kun.”

“When will Rintarou-san come?”

Flustered enough and forming incoherent screams inside, Akaashi averted the topic to his assumed significant other of Osamu, Suna Rintarou. With the visible aversion, Osamu heaved a sigh and took a seat in front of the former.

“I’m not sure if he’ll come since I’m convinced he is busy with volleyball practice.”

Osamu saw how the man in front of him fidget with his own fingers, and the former redirected his gaze to Akaashi’s face.

“You know what, Akaashi?” 

“Uh, no? What is it?”

“Why do you always ask about Suna? Do you like him?”

Akaashi, taken aback by the question, still found himself composed as he answered calmly.

“What? No. Well, I figured couples should be together right? So I would of course assume that he’ll visit from time to time, isn’t that so?”

It’s only been a while since Akaashi realized what love was. Fast-paced? Not so.

Akaashi realized love in small things. With all the numbers of reincarnation he went through, accompanied by the memories that he can’t erase himself— _love_ of course will be learned.

So, how did he find out about love? Well, Akaashi thought that love was everywhere. Love was in everything deemed loveable. He found love in subtle eye contacts. Who would’ve known that a universe is within a person? Akaashi also found love at the light and sincere smiles of strangers. He once read about how everyone has a lot of silent lovers, and thus he believes that even a smile can convey love. He also found love blossoming at the slight touching of hands. How did he come to that one? Seeing his friends in every timeline—one example would be Kuroo Tetsurō and Tsukishima Kei—he once saw how the two had their arms slightly brushed against each other, and a seemingly deep gaze followed soon after, accompanied by a soft smile towards each other—Akaashi saw love. By that time around, Akaashi began to write again. He signed up for literary work at a company, and in a bliss, he got in—which currently is his new job—which Kotarou finds funny at times at how nothing really changed about the former Violet, the now Akaashi.

Oh, how Akaashi pitied himself. It’s also not long since he found ‘Major’ again in the existence of Osamu Miya, a man running a rice ball establishment. Akaashi had joy from knowing that again, he found him easily—although that joy was easily crumpled by the scene of Suna and Osamu laughing beside the shop on a sunny day of Tokyo. That day Akaashi thought, maybe in the next lifetime, he wouldn’t be late.

That maybe in the next, he’ll be able to practice the kinds of love he learned—not only write about it—but to also convey it to the current ‘Major’ in a new lifetime. No matter how many more lives he will undergo, as long as it’s him again, everything will be alright.

As he snaps out of his trance, he sees a visibly shocked Osamu staring in confusion at what he had just said.

“Couple? Who? Suna and I?”

“Aren’t you?” Akaashi smiled lightly with the bitter feeling of the question leaving his mouth.

With this, Osamu’s nose drew up and wrinkled as he shook his head side-to-side at the same time. 

“Now stop that, Akaashi. Yer not being cute right now.”

Akaashi wondered how many times he would choke on a piece of rice on a rainy autumn morning. _Maybe more than I can possibly count,_ Akaashi mused to himself.

“What’s with you, and your words Miya-san? And did I possibly say anything wrong?”

“Yes, yes you did.”

“How so?”

“First off pretty-face, Suna and I are not together. He is in a relationship with the setter from Karasuno, now Schweiden Adlers, Kageyama Tobio, if I remember correctly.”

“Oh.”

“What does that _oh_ of yours even imply, Ak-aa-shi-kun? And no, I’m not done yet. Can you not assume who my significant other will be?” _because I’m just hoping it’ll be you,_ Osamu kept that thought to himself as to not overwhelm the man he is talking with.

Akaashi now felt apologetic, it was in his nature ever since, to assume things about other people as he tends to learn and educate himself in the process—although maybe this time it wasn’t the right occasion to apply what he is used to.

  
  


“Okay, I’m sorry Miya-san.” Akaashi felt giddy. Akaashi felt like a door was open to a windowless room. Akaashi felt that a thorn was removed from him. He saw a chance. Rather, he was granted one—as he liked to convince himself.

  
  


“Don’t worry about it, pretty sure it was nothing.” Osamu also heaved a sigh so heavy, as if a dark cloud was removed from the sky. He felt like he cleared up his name for something he doesn’t even know what for.

Both men with a look of relief found each other’s gaze fixated on one another. No one dared to escape nor turn away. Akaashi thought that he was lucky this lifetime, for maybe this time, there’ll be no hurting till the next one he is reborn, for maybe this time, he’ll get to break that curse and finally be able to enjoy the epiphany he had gathered after all those times. On the other hand, Osamu, not knowing anything about the circumstances, only thinks of how pretty Akaashi’s eyes were, and how hopeful it looked for some reason. The two men would’ve probably stared at each other a bit longer, admiring each other in silence, but it seems that Atsumu has other plans as he barges in the establishment with an owl on his arms.

“Look at what I found outside the sho—, did I interrupt with something?”

Osamu had an internal face-palm as he averted his gaze unto his twin—yes, they’re twins—and sent messages through glares that only the twins could understand.

_‘Atsumu what the hell is wrong with you?!’_

_‘Shut it scrub, it’s not like I know you were doing something disgusting here?’_

_‘Disgusting, shut yer trap Tsumu, we’re literally doing nothing.’_

_‘Oh really? but I’m sure you were tryna eat him with yer gaze, how disgusting.’_

“Kotarou?!”

The silent banter of the twins were halted by Akaashi’s voice, as well as his sight directed to the owl that Atsumu is carrying on his arms.

“Wait, you know this bird?” Atsumu asked, seemingly shocked at the coincidence.

“Oh, it’s actually my pet. Now I’m surprised how it got here.” Akaashi shyly spoke as he sent questioning stares at the bird. “I should probably get going and bring Kotarou home.”

“Kotarou?” Osamu interrupted as Akaashi was standing up from the counter chair he was sitting on, gathering his coat and phone at the same time.

“Miya-san, it’s his name actually.”

“Are you leaving already?” Osamu asked, now with eyes seemingly screaming in disappointment, at which Atsumu was visibly disgusted.

“I need to, not only because I need work to do or bring home my pet, but also because I finished my breakfast. Will there be any reason I should stay, Miya-san?”

Akaashi innocently asked, not noticing the hint of disappointment at how Osamu was holding his hands behind his back, and eyes pleading.

“Nothing. I just thought you’d stay for a while to order more, or maybe I can give you something on the house?”

Akaashi smiled. Maybe it’s a different body in a different timeline, but he sure does know, it’s the same kind soul, always wanting to provide something more to him. _An example of ‘love’, I guess,_ Akaashi softly mused to himself.

“I appreciate the offer Miya-san, but maybe next time.” _The next time that you’ll still be here, and a chance for me._

“Of course, of course,” Osamu chuckled frantically earning another piercing stare from his twin. “Hey, Atsumu, give Akaashi-kun his owl, stop playing with it like a fool, dumbass.”

Atsumu protested silently at the insults, yet still giving in, and giving back Kotarou to Akaashi. With this, Kotarou knows he is in deep trouble.

“I’ll go ahead, Miya-san, and—?

“It’s dickhead.”

“What?! Shut it ‘Samu.”

“Well, it fits you well.”

“Um?”

“Sorry Akaashi, it’s Atsumu, just ignore him.”

Akaashi giggled at this, and Osamu swore, he looked like someone he wants to be with—or maybe that’s too early to presume. As Akaashi waved goodbye to the twins, Osamu heed it with a smile as Akaashi went out the shop’s door.

“What the hell was that, Osamu? It’s nothing like you.”

“Oh, shut it. It’s early in the morning so what are you even here for.”

“I’m on a break. So?”

“What _so?”_

“Why do you look so disgustingly lovestruck?”

“Oh, is it obvious?”

“Damn it is. So?”

“I don’t know, but he only became a frequent customer just recently but—“

“But? Can’t you finish the damn sentence?”

“Can you wait?”

“No, so spit it out, what are you a preschool student?”

“For the love of God, can you give me a damn break? He has only been here recently but I feel like we’ve met somewhere before, multiple times to be exact, and I don’t know, it feels weird.”

“Why do you sound like you frequently pick up men or women with that line?”

“Shut it or I’ll throw you outside.”

“Kidding. Maybe you’ve seriously met each other before? Who knows. Recently, Shouyou was gushing about the book Kenma read to him the other day, although I forgot what it was, but I think it was about reincarnations? Not sure, nor do I care.”

“What an asshole you are, huh.”

“Don’t start about it loverboy, and give me Kita-san’s new rice.”

“Will do, loverboy.”

“Hey?!”

Osamu chuckled at how he can easily torment his older sibling, yet he was also curious at what his twin mentioned. _Reincarnation? Meeting multiple times?_ Not a chance, he convinced himself as he redirected his mind to thinking about Akaashi.

* * *

  
  
  


Silence ensued as Akaashi walked home, stepping over the wet orange and brown autumn leaves on the path, carrying Kotarou in his arms. The rain stopped earlier, showing the mess it left. Kotarou knows something is definitely up, with not only the silence and the scolding he’ll probably get for escaping through the window sill, but he noticed the change in Akaashi’s eyes, subtle as it may seem.

“So, want to tell me about it?” Kotarou spoke, giving a try in breaking the deafening silence—or more like so, indulging in his curiosity.

“Tell you what? The punishment I’ll give you for doing something dangerous, Kotarou?” Akaashi smiled, and for sure, Kotarou needs to stay quiet already, but he knows no better.

“Well, except for that. You were taking too long so I wondered if you got yourself into any accidents again, I’m not ready to stick with a younger version of you again.”

“Oh, thanks?”

Akaashi laughed as he opened the apartment door, settling his boots beside the door mat and taking off his dampened coat, to place Kotarou and himself inside the living room.

“Don’t worry, as you can see I’m safe, right here with you.”

Kotarou perked his ears to the side and squinted his golden orbs, as he asked Akaashi the same question.

“So, want to tell me about it?”

“About what?”

“Major—rather should I say, reincarnated Major which is now Osamu Miya?”

“Oh, him.” Akaashi smiled hopefully, and the owl swore it was weird of him to do that, yet he doesn’t point it out. It’s been so long since Akaashi learned to smile, or even did a smile again, far too long that he doesn’t even remember how he looked like while smiling—except now.

“Yes him, Akaashi, now want to stop keeping me in the shadows?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much.”

“I’m not sure about that, you seem hopeful about something.”

“Well, maybe not nothing. I have a chance now.”

“Oh?”

“It seems he is not in any form of romantic relationship with others.”

“Oh, and?” Kotarou coos at the seemingly good news, and how happy he is for the master he is serving.

“I may find him, I don’t know, alright, I guess?”

“Please, they always say that.”

“Who are they?”

“The black cat in the neighborhood, Kuroo-san’s familiar I guess? That damn cat always talks about the familiar of Tsukki-san.”

“I’m glad you are still keeping tabs with them, good for you, Koutarou.”

“Stop saying that as if I’ll stop being yours, Akaashi.”

“My bad, but I’m actually happy right now.”

“Because?”

“For a lot of reasons, but mainly because I found him, and that I may or may not see love.”

With this, Kotarou only snuggled to Akaashi, as he coos at the same time—showing how happy he is for the latter. It’s been too long for them, too much waiting. Now that there is the chance in front of Akaashi—who would be dumb enough not to take it? 

As Akaashi only wrote about the love of other people in the past—may it have been hurt or something that blossoms—Akaashi is now buoyant for being granted the chance in this particular lifetime. With fears on one hand, and insecurities on the other, Akaashi would take a step in finally freeing himself from the curse—only by nurturing the love in the right places—in Osamu, as he believes so.

Untitled—a work not named—the same with Akaashi and Osamu, as they are just beginning again an unfinished story. This time with no one, looking for the other—this time with no one chasing.

**_fin._ **

**Author's Note:**

> A fic for Yuki for HQRC exchange!


End file.
